We understand your frustration about busy schedules, costly gym membership, and lack of equipment when it comes to achieving a strong and defined back.
Say hi to your dream back with our top 6 bodyweight lat exercises. This blog is your step-by-step guide with correct exercise techniques and modifications.
Top 6 Bodyweight Lat Exercises
Here are our six hot picks for bodyweight lat exercises
1. Pull-Ups and Variations
Pull-ups are exercises that people of different fitness levels can enjoy through appropriate progressions and regressions.
For example, beginners can start with assisted pull-ups (using a band), chin-ups, or negative pull-ups by jumping up, while advanced athletes can add weights on top of their bodyweight.
The versatility of this exercise is evident in its variations; for example:
- Wide-grip pull-ups target the lats and mid-trap and are usually the hardest to perform due to the load they put on the shoulders, making it an excellent option for advanced athletes.
- Neutral-grip pull-ups are great for those with weaker shoulders or a history of shoulder injuries.
- Chin-ups focus on the biceps, chest, and back and are the best start for newbies.
How to Perform a Standard Pull-Up
- Grip the bar with an overhand grip and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Begin from a dead hang with the arms fully extended and feet off the ground.
- Engage your core and pull up until your chin is over the bar.
- Ensure your elbows point downwards and squeeze your shoulder blades back and down.
- Slowly lower yourself with control to the starting position.
- Breathe out as you pull yourself up and inhale as you lower.
2. Renegade Rows
The renegade row is an exercise performed in a push-up position. They primarily target the lats, triceps, and core muscles. These rows add an element of dynamism to the standard row movement, challenging stability and coordination.
Beginners can modify this exercise by performing it on their knees. Advanced individuals can increase the difficulty by adding weights or elevating their feet. You can also use dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands to perform this exercise. Changing your hand position or adopting your foot stance to a closer one can add additional challenges, too.
How to do renegade rows
- Start in a plank position with your hands placed below your shoulders.
- Keep your feet wider than hip width for stability.
- Begin by bending your arm and pulling one elbow behind you until your hand is chest level while balancing yourself on the side.
- Return to the start and repeat the same movement on the opposite side.
PRO TIP:
Grab a pair of dumbbells or wrist weights if you are up for more intensity. You can also add a push-up between the rows for more muscle engagement.
While performing the exercises, engage your core muscles to maintain stability and prevent any rotation in your hips or torso. Also, aim to avoid excessive rounding or arching of your lower back.
3. Superman Lat Pulldowns
The Superman Lat Pulldown is an exercise that mimics the movement of a lat pulldown but in a prone position (face down) without any equipment. It targets and activates the lats effectively, strengthens the back, improves shoulder stability, contributes to better posture, and can eliminate lower back pain. Moreover, it’s suitable for people with any fitness level.
How to do Superman lat pulldowns
- Lie on the floor, face down, and your legs and arms are stretched.
- Lift your arm and, at the same time, raise your chest and thighs slightly off the floor, too, to get into the “Superman” position.
- On the top, pull your arms back, elbows down towards your hips as if you’re doing a lat pulldown exercise.
- Extend your arms forward again and lower your body back to the start.
- Repeat
Creative Ways to Mimic Lat Pulldowns Using Household Items
- Resistance bands: Attach a long band to a sturdy piece of equipment and pull it down like a cable machine. Alternatively, you can put a loop band around your wrists, pull it apart, and initiate the movement mentioned above. This will add intensity to the exercise.
- Towel or T-shirt: Hold onto the ends. Gently separate them while you perform a pulling motion. This will create some tension between the two ends.
- Filled Water Bottles: Hold one bottle in each hand and perform the exercise.
4. Reverse snow angel
The Reverse Snow Angel is performed on the ground, similar to our previous Superman exercise. However, this time, the arms go all the way from head to hips, like when doing a snow angel. This exercise targets the shoulders, upper back, and lats, improving shoulder mobility and stability. Performing this exercise requires a body that also improves coordination.
How to Do Reverse Snow Angels
- Lie facedown on the ground with your arms extended overhead. Palms facing down.
- While keeping your arms straight, sweep them out to the sides and down towards your hips as if you were creating a snow angel motion.
- Reverse the motion to return to the starting position while ensuring your arms remain elevated off the ground throughout the exercise.
5. Inverted rows
Inverted rows work the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and traps. They provide an alternative to pull-ups and chin-ups, especially for individuals who may not have built up enough upper body strength yet, making them suitable for all fitness levels. You can also make it easier by starting in a more upright position or harder by elevating the feet and being more parallel to the floor.
The rowing motion involved in inverted rows involved scapular retraction and protraction (shoulder blades together and apart), which is beneficial for both posture and shoulder health.
How to Perform Inverted Rows
- Find a bar or table to position yourself under.
- Grip the bar with both hands wider than shoulder-width apart and arms fully extended
- Make sure your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Pull your chest up towards the bar by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower yourself down to the starting position slowly and in a controlled movement.
- Repeat.
PRO TIPS
Make sure you complete the range of motion by extending your arms at the bottom and pulling your chest towards the bar at the top.
6. One-Arm Rows
The single-arm bodyweight rows (variation of the inverted rows) focus on one side at a time, giving a more intense workout and engagement to each lat, trapezius, rhomboids, and rear deltoids, enabling better concentration and focus.
It promotes muscle growth, strength, and endurance. It can help you address any side-to-side asymmetries or imbalances you may be dealing with. This exercise also replicates real-life situations where you may have to lift or pull objects using only one arm.
How to do single-arm rows
- Begin by positioning yourself beneath a table or a horizontal bar.
- With one hand, hold onto the edge of the table or the bar.
- Lean backward to extend your arm while keeping your feet flat on the ground and your body aligned.
- Use one arm to pull yourself towards the table or bar until your chest touches.
- Gradually and in a controlled manner, extend your arm to return to the position.
- Repeat on the other side.
PRO TIPS
For more intensity, hold the top movement of the row for 2-3 seconds before lowering down. This can further challenge the exercise, speed up your progress, and prevent hitting a plateau.
Incorporating Equipment for Added Intensity
Amping up the intensity of your lat workouts can be as easy as incorporating a couple of pieces of mobile equipment. Two versatile tools that can enhance the intensity and variety of your bodyweight lat exercises are resistance bands and suspension trainers (TRX).
Here’s how and why you should effectively integrate these tools:
Exercises with Resistance Bands to Boost Lat Training
Benefits of Resistance Bands
- Variable Resistance: As the band stretches, the tension increases, offering resistance.
- Versatility: Suitable for exercise modification.
- Portability: It is lightweight and easy to carry in a bag, allowing you to work out anywhere.
Here are some exercises you can perform with a band.
1. Banded Lat Pulldowns
- Sit on the floor.
- Secure the band overhead (e.g., on a pull-up bar or sturdy beam).
- Grab each end of the band.
- Pull down, imitating a lat pulldown motion.
2. Banded Rows
- Attach the band to a sturdy piece of furniture at chest level in front of you.
- Sit while pulling the band towards you, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Repeat.
3. Assisted Pull-ups
If pull-ups are challenging, use a resistance band for assistance.
- Loop it over a pull-up bar.
- Place one foot or knee through the loop (step in it).
- Pull yourself up, then slowly return to the starting position.
4. Increased Intensity Pull-ups
Use the band to create resistance, not assistance, to make pull-ups more challenging. Attach a weight or water bottle to one end and the other to your waist and perform the pull-ups.
Exercises with a Suspension Trainer to Boost Your Lat Training
Benefits of TRX/Suspension Trainer
- Higher Muscle Engagement: Using suspension trainers requires stability, which engages more muscles throughout the body.
- Adjustable Intensity: You can easily modify the difficulty of exercises by adjusting your body positioning.
- Versatility and Portability: You can perform a wide range of lat or other exercises on a TRX. It is also easy to carry and attach to a tree, allowing you to train anywhere.
1. TRX Rows
- Hold onto the handles of the suspension trainer.
- Lean back to form an angle with the ground.
- Pull yourself up while squeezing your shoulder blades.
Note: You can increase or decrease intensity by changing the angle of your body—the closer you are to parallel with the ground, the more challenging it becomes.
2. Suspension Pull-ups
- Adjust the TRX to a short length, around shoulder height.
- Hold the handles with an overhand grip, arms extended, and squat all the way down with your knees and feet in front of you for assistance.
- Engage your core and pull your elbows to your ribs while standing up.
- Slowly lower yourself back down with control, extending your arms fully.
3. Suspension Y Fly
Begin by adjusting the TRX straps to mid-length and stand facing the anchor point.
- Hold the handles with an overhand grip and walk your feet forward to create tension in the straps.
- Lean back with your body forming a diagonal line, arms extended, elbows slightly bent.
- Pull yourself up as you bring your arms up in a Y shape above your head.
- Reverse the motion, bringing your arms back together to return to the starting position.
4. Single-arm Suspension Rows
This version can be more difficult than on a table. That’s because the TRX is unstable and requires more stability and engagement from your muscles and body while focusing on one side of your back at a time.
The Advantages of Using Bodyweight Exercises for Lat Development
Bodyweight lat exercises offer unmatched convenience and accessibility, adaptable to any space without needing equipment or a gym membership. They are suitable for all fitness levels while offering a safe, low-impact session in the comfort of your home or anywhere.
Training the lats not only builds a V-shaped back but also plays vital functional roles, like better respiration and posture. Additionally, the lats are integral to shoulder function, facilitating movements crucial for various activities such as pulling, lifting, and throwing. They provide necessary support during pressing exercises, ensuring proper form and technique.
For bodybuilders, well-developed lats are pivotal for achieving symmetrical lat development and a sculpted back. Incorporating these exercises into your routine is key to attaining these desired outcomes.
